The Wire with Max

A Newsroom investigation has revealed a young Clutha-Southland National MP secretly recorded a long-standing member of staff amid an employment dispute. Todd Barclay, the MP in question, initially denied allegations of the recordings and speaking to Prime Minister Bill English about it. However, Bill English has contradicted this in a statement released last night detailing how the PM had in fact been told about the recordings almost a year ago. In an exclusive interview, 95bFM reporter Adam Jacobson speaks with Newsroom investigative journalist Melanie Reid regarding the investigation.

Today on the show, Tracey talks to Ximena about New Zealand First’s call for a binding referendum on repealing the ‘anti-smacking’ law, ten-years-on from its emergence.

Today on the jam-packed show, Ximena, Adam & Will look at some of the latest political hot topics of the week, including the Todd Barclay bugging scandal and NZ First’s call for a referendum on the ‘anti-smacking’ law. AUT’s Allan Blackman also joins them as usual in the studio for Dear Science, chatting about how researchers have developed a solar paint that can generate energy, as well as some recent controversy around a gene editing technology called CRISPR.

Questions are being raised about the state of Auckland's boarding houses after a Nation investigation revealed substandard living conditions in two houses in Papatoetoe and Otahuhu. These particular boarding houses had windows missing, were damp and smelled of excrement. This follows the death of a baby boy just days after being born in a boarding house in Favona last month. Labour are saying that slum boarding houses have got to stop and are proposing a warrant of fitness for boarding houses. Reporter Sam Smith spoke to the Salvation Army's Major Campbell Roberts to discuss the state of Auckland's boarding houses and what needs to be done about them.